CHAPTER 74: I THINK I CAN FEEL GOD!

Mu Qianxue clapped her hands.

"Today’s focus: meditation and control. I don’t want to hear a single complaint."

She looked directly at Lin Fan.

"Me?" Lin Fan gasped, hand on his chest like he was personally offended.

"Master, I haven’t even said anything yet!"

"You were about to," she replied dryly, already rubbing her temples.

Everyone else had taken their spots, crossing their legs and falling into focused meditation.

Hei Long closed his eyes with ease, his breathing calm, already syncing with the natural qi around him.

Bai Luoluo, arms crossed before her, peeked open one eye now and then, stealing glances at him before quickly shutting it again.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan sat down, legs crossed—but only barely.

"Ugh... this grass is itchy! Why don’t we have cushions? And it’s so hot today. Seriously, Master, you couldn’t get us a nice shaded area or something? And why is Hei Long always next to a girl, huh? You play favorites!"

Mu Qianxue’s eye twitched.

She stood up slowly.

Lin Fan blinked. "Wait—wait, Master, I was just voicing concern—"

"You’re clearly too energetic to meditate," she said, cracking her knuckles.

"So let’s channel that energy somewhere useful."

She pointed to a nearby boulder—one so large it cast its own shadow.

Lin Fan’s soul nearly left his body. "No, not the boulder..."

"Yes, the boulder," she smirked. "One thousand push-ups. With it on your back."

Lin Fan screamed internally, but before he could object further, Hei Long snapped his fingers and gestured.

"C’mon, I’ll help lift it onto your back."

"I hate you," Lin Fan hissed.

"I know," Hei Long grinned.

Moments later, Lin Fan was flat on the ground, shaking like a leaf with the massive boulder balancing on his back.

"O-one... two... are my arms supposed to bend like this?!"

Bai Luoluo, still trying to maintain composure during meditation, let out an unexpected giggle.

She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth but couldn’t hide the grin.

Even Mu Qianxue turned away to hide her smirk.

Lin Fan, struggling through his eighth push-up, groaned, "This isn’t even training—it’s torture! I’m gonna sue!"

Hei Long, still meditating nearby, spoke without opening his eyes.

"Cultivate your body, mind, and spirit... or at least two out of three."

"I’m cultivating pain!" Lin Fan snapped back, shaking under the boulder.

As the rest of the group resumed their training with serenity, Lin Fan’s groans echoed through the field like a tragic opera.

Bai Luoluo shook her head with a faint smile. "Honestly... he brings this on himself."

Mu Qianxue exhaled peacefully.

"Finally. Silence... other than Lin Fan suffering. Which is basically background noise at this point."

Hei Long chuckled softly as the qi around him pulsed brighter, flowing smoothly through his veins.

The session continued—everyone focused, balanced, and progressing... except for Lin Fan, who was currently face-down in the dirt, screaming:

"SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHT! I THINK I CAN FEEL GOD!!"

By the time Lin Fan finished his final push-up—with a pitiful wheeze and the boulder rolling off him with a heavy thud—he collapsed onto the grass, arms splayed, sweat covering every inch of his body like he had just bathed in it.

"I see the heavens," he whispered hoarsely, eyes glazed over.

"They’re laughing at me..."

Mu Qianxue walked over and lightly kicked his boot.

"At least you’re not talking anymore."

Lin Fan groaned in defeat, unable to even lift his head.

Everyone gathered back around, forming a half-circle around Mu Qianxue as she clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Good. You’ve all done well today—some better than others." She spared a glance at Hei Long, who gave her a casual wink.

Lin Fan muttered into the dirt, "This is favoritism..."

Ignoring him, Mu Qianxue continued, "Now then, I have an announcement. In three days, we’ll be traveling to Ocean City for the Inter-Sect Tournament. The Sect Master has already signed us up."

"Ocean City?" Bai Luoluo tilted her head, interested.

"That place on the eastern coast with the floating arena?"

"Yes," Mu Qianxue nodded.

"It’s one of the biggest tournaments in the region. A gathering of geniuses from dozens of sects—perfect for building experience... and reputation."

Hei Long’s eyes narrowed slightly, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

’Ocean City...’

The name echoed in his mind like a bell toll.

’That’s right... the next heroine is there,’ he thought, folding his arms.

Her face appeared in his memory: Lan Yue, the genius water cultivator from the Azure Rain Pavilion, known for her icy demeanor and overwhelming swordplay.

A prodigy among prodigies—and, in the original novel, she was the next major woman to fall for Lin Fan after being saved by him during the tournament.

’Not this time.’

He’d already stolen Lin Fan’s opportunities once. He planned to do it again.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan, still lying on the grass like a flattened frog, managed to croak out, "Tournament... sounds... fun..."

"Don’t worry," Mu Qianxue added with a teasing smile, "You’ll only be carrying the luggage."

Lin Fan’s soul left his body a second time that day.

Bai Luoluo tried not to laugh, but even she failed to fully hide the corner of her smile.

"Maybe don’t pass out during warmups next time, Lin Fan."

Hei Long, hands in his sleeves, turned to Mu Qianxue.

"So, we’re all going?"

"The three of you, plus myself as the acting master," she confirmed.

"You’ll face off in preliminary duels. Win, and you’ll qualify for the central bracket. Lose..." she shrugged.

"You go sightseeing, I suppose."

"Can I opt for sightseeing?" Lin Fan whimpered.

"No," came the group reply in unison.

Hei Long smiled faintly, his gaze drifting off toward the east.

’Lan Yue, huh... I wonder how she’ll be like... Hopefully not a major bitch.’

Just as things were wrapping up, Mu Qianxue glanced down at Lin Fan, who was still lying there with his tongue halfway out like a dying dog in the summer sun.

She sighed. "Honestly..."

She reached into her spatial ring and pulled out a wooden bucket filled to the brim with cold mountain spring water.

With one swift motion, she tilted it and dumped the entire thing on him.

SPLASH!

"AGHHHH!?!?" Lin Fan jolted upright, gasping and sputtering like he’d just been reborn. His hair was soaked, his robe clung to his skin, and his eyes were wide with betrayal.

"H-Have I ascended?!"

"No," Mu Qianxue said dryly. "You just stink."

Bai Luoluo let out a rare giggle.

Hei Long couldn’t hold back his laughter either.

Lin Fan curled up on the grass, drenched and humiliated. "...I hate this sect."

Mu Qianxue smirked as she tossed the empty bucket aside.

"And yet somehow, it’s still better than you."